Aeroplane control device



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July 10, 1934. i CRISS-EY 1,965,793

YAEROPLANE CONTROL DEVICE --fFj led Aug. 16, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Thoma sfi. drj/ss'ey INVENTOR ATTORNEY July 10, 1934. 1 Y 1,965,793 AEROPLANE CONTROL DEVICE Filed Aug, 16, i935 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Thomas/2, 677L959 INVEN OR ATTORNEY WITNESS:

Patented July 10, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE AEROPLANE CONTROL DEVICE Thomas H. Crissey, New Canaan, Conn.

Application August 16, 1933, Serial No. 685,467

4 Claims.

This invention relates to a control device for aeroplanes and other flying machines of the toy type and has for the primary object the provision of means for adjusting the rudder and stabilizers and for automatically releasing a dummy parachute jumper or toy bomb after a v predetermined flight of the machine. t

With these and other objects in view this invention consists .in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

For a complete understanding of my invention,

reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawings, in which In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section,

illustrating a toy aeroplane or flying machine constructed in accordance with my invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan View, partly in section,

, illustrating the same.

Figure B is a fragmentary side elevation illustrating a control lever for the steering mechanism of the aeroplane.

Figure 4 is'a side elevation, partly in section,

illustrating my invention applied to a flying mafuselage 2 isv equipped with the usual steeringmechanism 3 consisting of a rudder and stabilizers controlled by cables 4. A propeller 5 is arranged at the front end of the fuselage with its shaft 6 extending into the fuselage and bent to form a hook or anchoring element 7 for the purpose of connecting any suitable type of driving medium to the propeller. This driving medium may' be in the'form of a spring, a wound rubber band, or a small engine operated by explosive fuel or compressed air. The cables 4, at their forward ends, are connected to oppositely extended arms 8 pivotally mounted, as at'9. A control rod 10 is connected to the arms 8. at the pivot 9 and'is provided with a straight portion 11 and'ofiset portions 12. vThe control arm 10 is located adjacent to a feed shaft 13 suitably journaled in the fuselage and is driven from the propeller shaft 6 by an endless belt 14 or any other form of gearing or transmission. The shaft 13 over its major portion is provided with feed threads to mesh with a nut 15 provided with spaced projections 16 engaging opposite sides of a guide rod 1'7 extending parallel with the feed shaft. The nut 15 may be constructed from a closely coiled element wherein the convolutions of the coil mesh with the threads of the feed shaft and the projections 16 being formed by the ends of the coiled element.

A rearwardly extending hook 18 is carried by the lower wall of the fuselage 2 to engage an eye bolt or any other similar fastener 19 carried by one end of a dummy parachute jumper 20 shaped to represent a human figure with a parachute 21 carried by the back portion. The fastener 19 is carried by the head of the dummy while the feet carry a looped element 22 held in engagement with a keeper 23 by a latch element 24 pivoted to the fuselage, as shown at 25, and operating through an opening in the bottom wall of the fuselage. The latch element 24 extends through the looped element 22 into the keeper for temporarily supporting the parachute jumper 20 in a horizontal position under the fuselage. The latch element 24 is preferably in the form of a bell crank lev'er, one arm portion 26 terminating in the path of the movement of the nut so that when said nut reaches a point on the feed shaft the feed shaft 13, depressing the control rod 10 positioning the steering mechanism to cause the aeroplane to ascend when manually released by the rotation of the propeller 5. After a certain flight upwardly of the aeroplane the nut 15 engages the straight portion '11 to adjust the steering mechanism to cause the aeroplane to travel in a straight course. The nut 15 when reaching a point adjacent the rear end of the feed shaft operates the latch 24, freeing the dummy parachute jumper so that the latter may descend free of the aeroplane. While Ihave shown a dummy parachute jumper it is to be understood that toy bombs or the like may be connected to the aeroplane for release while the aeroplane is in flight.

Referring to Figures 4 and 5 my invention is shown applied to a toy flying machine'of the glider type, the fuselage being indicated by the character 28. It is to be understood that the 5 glider type is propelled into the air for gliding by any well known medium. Mounted upon' the forward end of, the fuselage 28 is a supporting structure 29 carrying a guide rod 30 and also rotatably supporting a feed shaft 31. A nut 32 lo'operates on the feed shaft and in engagement with the guide rod 30. The toy parachute jumper is connected tothe fuselage 28 at one end by a rearwardly extending hook 33 and at its forward end' by a catch 34 similar in construction to the catch 24, except one end thereof is bent to form a loop'35 in which. travels one of the projections of the nut 32. A. forward movement or the glider in flight causes rotation of a propeller wheel 36 secured to the feed shaft. The

movement of the nut 32 and after a predetermined movement ofv the nut on the feed shaft, the projection thereof fltting in the loop of the catch causes a pivotal movement of said 25 catch, freeing the dummy parachute jumper from the fuselage of the glider.

Referring to Figure 6, my invention is shown installed to a toy aeroplane of the a'utogyro type wherein the fuselage is indicated by the charfusela'ge and rotatably supports a vertical shaft 39 to which is secured a horizontal'propeller 40'. .The shaft 39 is equipped with the feed threads as in the other forms of my invention and the nut 40 travels thereon. Pivoted to the fuselage 37 is a latch 41 similar to the latch 34 except the free end thereof is bent angularly, as shown at 42, and arranged in the path'of movement of the nut so that after said nut travels a predetermined distance on the feed threads it engages the latch and frees the toy parachute jumper from the fuselage 37.

Referring to Figure 7, a toy aeroplane of the autogyro type is shown wherein the elevating propeller is indicated by the character 43 and the shaft 44 on w oh the propeller is journaled is pivotally connected to a support 45, as shown at 46. The support is carried by the fuselage 47. The fuselage 47 is propelled substantially in the same manner as the form shown in Figure 1, ex-

cept one extension of the nut is connected to theshaft 44 by a rod 48 so that during the travel of v the nut on the feed shaft, the lifting propeller 43 aeroplane to readily rise in flight,and as the rotation of the feed shaft causes a rearward.

acter 37. A vertical support 38 rises from the will be varied as to-inclination and after the nut travels a predetermined distance on the feed.

flight continues the nut adjusts the lifting propeller to maintain the aeroplane in flight in a horizontal course and as the nut reaches the rear end of the feed shaft the lifting propeller then assumes an inclined position to cause descent of the aeroplane.

In all forms of my invention, the same type of feed shaft is employed and' it is to be noted that the feed threads do not extend to the ends of the shaft so that when the nut reaches either end of the shaft it may run off of the feed threads and idle upon the feed shaft or be retained against endwise movement with respect to the feed shaft.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that minor changes in construction, combination and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, as claimed.

c Having described the invention, I,claim':

1. A toy flying machine including a fuselage having a power driven propeller, a feed shaft driven by the propeller, afeed nut operated on said shaft, and a toy figure releasably supported on the fuselage and freed from the latter after a predetermined movement of the nut on the feed shaft. I

2. A toy flying machine including a fuselage having a power driven propeller, a feed shaft 5 driven by the propeller, a feed nut operated on said shaft, a hook carried by the fuselage, a keeper carried by the fuselage, a toy figure engaging the hook at one end, a loop element carried by the figure and engaging the keeper, and a pivoted 1 ,the hook in releasably securing the flgure to the fuselage and actuated by the nut moving endwise of the feed shaft to free the figure from the fuselage after a predetermined length of flight of the latter.

8. A toy glider including a fuselage, a pivoted catch carried by the fuselage, a hook carried by the fuselage, a toy parachute jumper releasably 129 supported on the fuselage by the hook and catch, a supporting structure on the fuselage, a feed shaft carried by the supporting structure, a propeller secured to the shaft, and a feed nut on said shaft and connected to. the catch for actuating the latter to free the toy parachute jumper from the fuselage after a predetermined flight of the latter.

' 4. A toy aeroplane including an autogyro propeller, a. feed shaft driven by said'propeller, a catch pivoted to the fuselage, a hook carried by g the fuselage, a toy parachute jumper releasably supported to the fuselage by the hook and catch,

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